23 Ward Ave, Westerly, RI 02891 (401) 596-2109 Madison Bavasso
INTRO:
Westerly High School is a community of learners who are committed to a positive school
environment that honors academic achievement, mutual respect and personal accountability.
Westerly commits to clearly communicating expectations to all students and holding
teachers and staff accountable to meeting them. Westerly commits to providing students multiple
pathways to success so that all students can be prepared for life after high school. Westerly
believes that innovation, technology, and having a global perspective will advance
learning, and rejects the structures that have traditionally served as limitations to
progress. Westerly believes that learning must never be a passive activity, that instruction
should inspire and that schools must operate in an atmosphere that is electric. Westerly believes
in the power of collaboration between teachers, students, their families and the
community, and draw upon the strength of diversity to solve problems and create
opportunities. (Westerly High School Website, 2014)
Background Info:
Westerly High School is a public school in a suburban area of Rhode Island that borders Connecticut. It was established in 1870.
Westerly High School enrolls students in grades 9-12. There is approximately 983 students and 88 teachers. It is the only high school in Westerly.
The principal is Steven Ruscito and the assistant principals are Anne Greene and Mary Nancy Toscano.
Below is data covering the community of Westerly, focusing on income, poverty rates, unemployment, safety, education, and more.
There is also data on the district, which shows NECAP scores, graduation rates, incidents of suspension and more.
Lastly there is school data which focuses on SAT and AP exam scores.
Each section compares Westerly to the Rhode Island averages and the district and school sections compares Westerly High School to Barrington, a high achieving school and Central Falls, a lower achieving school. This data is intended to help parents, teachers, and students compare Westerly with other communities and school districts and decide if they feel Westerly, and specifically Westerly High School, is a good match for their kids.
(U.S News.com)
Community:
Community Background:
Westerly, Rhode Island is beachfront community on the shoreline of the southwest part of Rhode Island.
It is a tourist town in the summer because of its beaches.
If you are interested in learning more about this town, below is data and graphs that help highlight different factors of the community.
If these data sets aren't enticing enough, Taylor Swift owns a summer home in Westerly.
Income/Poverty:
Westerly
Rhode Island
United States
Median household income
$59,008
$56,102
$53,046
Median family income
$76,115
$72,872
$64,585
Per capita income
$33,698
$30,005
$28,051
All families below poverty level
4.6%
9.2%
10.9%
All people below the poverty level
8.3%
13.2%
14.9%
Unemployment
(percent and # of people)
6.4%- 1,191
6.3%-53,904
6.0%-14,536,657
(U.S Census, 2010)
Westerly fairs very well financially compared to the rest of Rhode Island and the United States. People in Westerly make about 6,000 more dollars then the rest of the United States.The people and families below poverty level is a smaller percentage than those of Rhode Island and the United States. It is interesting to see that the unemployment percentage is higher in Westerly than the rest of Rhode Island and the United States. Considering the high income and low poverty rates, it is a bit confusing to see that there is a fairly large unemployment rate.
Race/Ethnicity
Westerly
Rhode Island
United States
White
92.9%
81.4%
72.4%
Black/African Americans
1.0%
5.7%
12.6%
Asian
2.5%
2.9%
4.8%
Hispanic or Latino
2.9%
12.4%
16.3%
American Indian and Alaska native
0.7%
0.6%
0.9%
One race
98.0%
96.7%
97.1%
(U.S Census, 2010)
In this table we see that Westerly is a predominantly white community. The percentage of African Americans (1.0%) is significantly lower than that of the rest of Rhode Island (5.7%) and the United States (12.6%). The Hispanic or Latino population is also incredibly small in Westerly. The American Indian population is a bit higher in Westerly than the rest of Rhode Island, most likely due to the two nearby casinos (Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun).
Census-based Indicators
Westerly
Rhode Island
Child Population
4,787
223,956
Children in single-parent families
28%
31%
Children living in families below the federal poverty threshold
11.9%
18.4%
Children living in grandparent headed households
6%
6%
(U.S Census, 2010)
Out of the 4,787 children living in Westerly, 28% are living in single-parent families and 6% are living with their grandparents. These numbers are fairly normal in comparison to Rhode Island.
Westerly's poverty threshold average is almost 8% of the statewide average. This means that less children in Westerly are living in families below the federal poverty threshold than the state-wide average. This may be due to the high median income in Westerly that we saw in the earlier data.
Economic Well-Being
Westerly
Rhode Island
Children in families receiving cash assistance
2%
4%
School Breakfast Program participation
31%
39%
(U.S Census, 2013)
Westerly has 31% of students participating in the school breakfast program. This is lower than the statewide average but it is still a surprisingly high amount of students considering the low poverty and high income of families in Westerly. Children in families receiving cash assistance is 2% lower than the statewide average which makes more sense considering the financial stability in Westerly.
Safety
Westerly
Rhode Island
Child abuse and neglect rate per 1,000 children
15.5%
14.0%
Incarcerated parent
5.2%
11.2%
Domestic violence with children present (2012)
34%
31%
(U.S Census, 2013) This data is the most interesting and surprising to me. The child abuse and neglect rate per 1,000 children (15.5%) is above the statewide average (14.0%). The domestic violence with children present rates are also higher than the statewide average. 34% of children witness domestic abuse. This is 3% higher than the statewide average. Child abuse can have lifelong consequences on children that carries on to high school and adulthood. It can lead to increased delinquency substance abuse, mental health issues, teen pregnancy, and low academic achievement (RIKidsCount.org). The percentages are concerning for the town of Westerly, you never want to see those percentages higher than the statewide average, even if it isn't a huge gap between them.
Education
Westerly
Rhode Island
Chronic early absence in grades K-3
8%
12%
Suspension rate
8%
23%
High School graduation rate
88%
80%
Chronic absence (High school)
11%
24%
11th graders at or above math proficiency level
54%
36%
(U.S Census, 2013)
Westerly is looking good in the chronic early absence in grades K-3 row as well as the chronic absence in high school rate. The chronic absence rate (high school) in Westerly is half of the statewide average which is a good sign that students are attending class. The suspension rate in Westerly is looking really good.The statewide suspension rate is 2x higher than Westerly's rate. It is good that students are staying out of major trouble in school.The high school graduation rate is encouraging as well with 88% of high school students graduating. The math proficiency level is a very good indicator because math is a tough subject in most school around the United States. The proficiency rate is 18% higher in Westerly than the rest of the state. I think the low suspension rate and low absent rates affect the math proficiency level because the more students are in school, the more they are learning and staying proficient in their grade levels.
District:
NECAP:
NECAP Assessments
Rhode Island
Westerly
Barrington
Central Falls
8th grade math
57%
58%
90%
15%
8th grade reading
75%
78%
94%
39%
8th grade writing
56%
63%
79%
13%
8th grade science (2012-13)
30%
50%
71%
8%
11th grade math
35%
54%
79%
12%
11th grade reading
81%
91%
97%
53%
11th grade writing
66%
68%
81%
35%
11th grade science (2012-13)
30%
41%
58%
8%
(Info Works, 2013-14)
I wanted to focus on 8th grade scores and 11th grade scores because I felt they are most relevant to high school. As you can see, heading into high school (8th grade) Westerly has above average scores compared to the rest of Rhode Island. Westerly is way above the state average in science (50%) and just above the average in math, reading, and writing. Compared to a very high achieving school like Barrington, Westerly doesn't even come close to any of their scores. It is encouraging to see that they are closer in percentages to Barrington then they are in Central Falls, a lower achieving district. Westerly is 21% lower than Barrington in science and 42% higher than Central Falls. They are 16% lower in reading scores than Barrington but 39% higher than Central Falls. So while they may not be at Barrington's level, Westerly is has higher NECAP scores than the state average in every category and achieves at a closer rate to Barrington than Central Falls, which is positive.
Attendance:
Rhode Island
Westerly
Barrington
Central Falls
Attendance Rate (Middle Schools)
94%
96%
96%
92%
Attendance Rate (High School)
92%
95%
95%
88%
Attendance Rate (All Schools)
94%
95%
96%
92%
Chronic Absenteeism (High School)
24%
11%
7%
40%
(Info Works, 2013-14) Westerly has good attendance rates (95%) that fall in line with the likes of Barrington (96%). They are higher then both Central Falls (92%) and the rest of the state (94%). The chronic absenteeism rate (11%) is also a lower percentage which is encouraging. When students are attending school, they are growing and learning essential information. It also shows that students have modes of transportation to get to school and aren't left without ways to commute to school everyday.
Four Year Graduation Rate (students entering 9th grade in 2009-10)
Rhode Island
Westerly
Barrington
Central Falls
Percent graduated
79.7%
88.3%
95.3%
73.7%
Percent dropped out
9.1%
4.4%
1.6%
15%
Percent received GED
2.9%
4.8%
0.4%
1.9%
Percent still in school
8.3%
2.5%
2.7%
9.4%
(Info Works, 2012-13)
Westerly has a high percent of graduates within 4 years (88.3). I believe that percentages above 80% are very positive. As you can see 79.7% of students in Rhode Island don't graduate in 4 years and 73.7% in Central Falls don't graduate in 4 years and don't reach that 80% positive threshold. 4.4% of student in Westerly drop out the percent who received a GED is very high in Westerly (4.8%) so even though 4.4% dropped out of school, 4.8% didn't just give up on education, they went on to receive their GED on their own time which is very good to see that students didn't just give up on school completely.
Five Year Graduation Rate (students entering 9th grade 2008-09)
Rhode Island
Westerly
Barrington
Central Falls
Percent graduated within 4 years
77.3%
87.1%
93.7%
68.1%
Percent graduated in 5 years
3.6%
2.4%
2.3%
5.7%
Percent graduated within 5 years
80.9%
89.5%
96.0%
73.8%
(Info Works, 2012-13)
As we saw earlier in the four year graduation rate, Westerly has pretty high rates within 4 years (87.1) that is 10% more than the state average. Again, this means students are attending class and getting decent grades and staying on track during high school in the minimum 4 years it takes to graduate for most students. If you combine this percentage with that of students graduated in 5 years almost 90% of students who entered 9th grade in 2008 graduated in 5 years. To have 90/100% of students graduate in 5 years is an impressive feat for Westerly as only 80% graduate statewide when you combine the first two columns.
Student Characteristics
Rhode Island
Westerly
Barrington
Central Falls
Students eligibility for subsidized lunch
47%
36%
6%
81%
Students receiving ESL/Bilingual Education Services
6%
2%
1%
17%
Students receiving special education
15%
16%
11%
20%
(Info Works, 2012-13)
Westerly has a fairly high number of students eligible for subsidized lunch. This is a bit surprising because of the low poverty rates and high income we saw in the earlier sections. I would have expected the rates to be lower, not as low as Barrington's but not almost 40%. Not a lot of students receive ESL which isn't surprising because 92.9% of the population are white and most likely born in English speaking households. 16% of students receive special education in Westerly. This is higher than the statewide average but special education cases are unique for every district, my uncle is a guidance counselor in the Westerly school district and says that the special education services in Westerly are very good, so kids from other districts may come to Westerly to receive special education service. School SAT Exams:
Rhode Island
Westerly
Barrington
Central Falls
Math Average
479
500
597
410
Reading Average
478
509
582
390
Writing Average
473
510
570
375
(Info Works, 2012-13)
Westerly has scores in the 500's for math, reading, and writing. These are above/a little above average scores for SAT's. The scores are significantly higher than Central Falls and lower than Barrington's scores. All the scores are 30 points higher than the state average so it shows that students are pretty prepared for the SAT's and Westerly High School helps prepare students for each section of the exam so students have learned enough content to pass the SAT's with decent scores.
AP exams:
Rhode Island
Westerly
Barrington
Central Falls
Number of exams taken
6717
122
526
96
Number of students to take the exam
4150
95
283
74
Exams scored at college-level mastery
3674
60
465
23
% scored at college-level mastery
55%
49%
88%
24%
(Info Works, 2012-13)
95 students take the AP exam in Westerly. 60 of those students score at a college level mastery. That is 49% of students who passed the exam for college credit. Based on how difficult these exams are, that is a decent percentage of students that passed the exam. Almost half of the students that took the exam passed which is lower than the statewide average but considering the school is small, there are probably only 3/4 AP classes to chose from for students so most of them are probably taking AP clases that may not be their strong subject but they want to take an AP class to put on college resumes.
Student Indicators
Rhode Island
Westerly
Barrington
Central Falls
Stability Index (High School)
86%
92%
97%
76%
Mobility Index (High School)
15%
9%
3%
26%
(Info Works, 2013-14)
There is a high stability index in Westerly, its a tight knit town where generation after generation grow up and raise their children in Westerly. Most people who grow up in Westerly don't stray very far from home. Not much changes in Westerly very often.
Incidents of Suspension
Rhode Island
Westerly
Barrington
Central Falls
Number of incidents (High School)
17944
113
103
117
(Info Works 2012-13)
Westerly has a high number of incidents (113). This is just 4 less than Central Falls (117) and 10 more than Barrington (103). Suspensions are given out for many different reasons. For example, fights, illegal activity, inappropriate behavior etc. So we don't know exactly why this number is so high but if I had to take a guess I would look back at the Safety section. We saw that Westerly has a high percentage of child abuse and domestic violence. Like I said earlier, abuse and domestic violence have lifelong consequences on children. If they experience abuse or witness domestic violence, they are more likely to fall victim to it and demonstrate it when they get older and also they can exhibit higher aggression than others. This children may be starting fights in school and getting suspended for it. Obviously we don't know for sure if that is the case but it could be said that abuse and suspensions are related.
Conclusion:
Westerly has a few red flags particularly in suspensions (113), child abuse (15.5%), and domestic violence (34%) but, overall it exceeds the state wide average in most categories. Most of those categories with red flags do not represent Westerly and the school district as a whole. You can't make a causation or correlation from that data to the entire population.
Westerly may not be at the same level as Barrington but it has significantly higher percentages than a struggling district like Central Falls.
By ranking higher than the State average in almost every academic category, Westerly can be classified as an above average school, but not quite reaching the superior level.
Westerly falls in a class above most schools in Rhode Island but hasn't hit elite status like Barrington. You can determine this by comparing the SAT, AP, and NECAP scores as well as the graduation and attendance rates above. The community is a middle class, beach front community with low poverty and unemployment rates. The income is higher than most in Rhode Island ($59,008). You can't ask for much more than that if you are looking to locate to a safe, scenic area. It is a great town to send your children to school in, they will receive opportunities to learn and grow as students.
By showing you the positive and also negative data of Westerly, it gives you a sense of where this town and school district stand in comparison to other schools and towns. It important to be able to compare data from other schools so you see how a community stacks up against the best of the best and the worst of the worst. You are able to make some predictions about where Westerly is heading as a community and district.I hope this information has informed you on all that Westerly has to offer and has enticed you to consider Westerly High School as a place for your future children to spend 180 days a year in.
Author: (Person who wrote report.) Editor: (Taylor Borruso.) Total Score for this Evaluation: _33 /35 pts
The purpose of the context statement in EDC 102 is to provide each student with an opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability to research a school, its district, and its community in order to better understand its strengths and challenges. Each report should describe their school based solely on evidence that they cite in their Reference section.
As a peer editor, your tasks are:
Read author's report.
Carefully evaluate report by assigning a score for each criterion
provide constructive comments that will help the strengthen the author's report for each category.
Create a link to your evaluation at the end of the report.
RUBRIC
Name: Score:
Introduction: 5_/5 points 5: Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform. 4: Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform. 3: Intro names the school/district/community but not much else. 2: Intro fails to name the school, district, and/or community. 0: No introduction section is apparent.
Comments on report's introduction:
Organization: 5_/5 points 5: Report includes the following sections: Introduction, Community, District, School, Conclusion, References. 4: Report includes all sections but does not break information into paragraphs, has few transitions, or is otherwise lacking in coherence. 3: Report is missing one section. 2: Report is not divided into sections but contains some information on each. 1: Report is missing two or more sections.
Comments on report's organization:
Mechanics: 5_/5 points 5. All information is cited using APA in-text citations. A properly formatted References section appears at the end of the report. There are few typos or errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax. 4: Most information is cited and referenced using APA format. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax but they do not interfere with meaning. 3: Some information is not cited or referenced. APA format not followed or followed incorrectly. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax that interfere with meaning. 2: Most of the information is not cited. APA formatting is negligible or nonexistent. Multiple errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax interfere with meaning. 0: No citations. No references. Myriad errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax make the report a chore to read.
Comments on report’s mechanics/conventions:
Creativity: _3/5 5. Report is engaging and colorful. Charts, graphs, and images add professionalism and interest and are well integrated into the report. 4: Report contains some interesting sections. Charts, graphs and images are relevant and add interest to the report. 3: Report appears dull. Information is reported in a disengaged manner. Charts, graphs, and images add little to the report.
Comments on report's creativity:
Conclusion: _4/5 5: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader. 4: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community 3: Conclusion does not report back to report's findings. 1: Conclusion simply praises or condemns the school. 0: No conclusion.
Comments on report's conclusion:
Data/Analysis: 10_/10 5: Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average). 4: Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and compares most figures with relevant figures. 3: Report includes at least six different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures. 2: Report includes at least four different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures. 0: Report includes less than four different facts for any section or fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.
Peer Evaluation / Feedback for EDC 102 Context Statement
Author: Maddie Bavasso
Editor: Kiah Marcotte
Total Score for this Evaluation: 33/35 pts
The purpose of the context statement in EDC 102 is to provide each student with an opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability to research a school, its district, and its community in order to better understand its strengths and challenges. Each report should describe their school based solely on evidence that they cite in their Reference section.
As a peer editor, your tasks are:
Read author's report.
Carefully evaluate report by assigning a score for each criterion
provide constructive comments that will help the strengthen the author's report for each category.
Create a link to your evaluation at the end of the report.
Introduction: 4/5 points
5: Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform.
4: Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform.
3: Intro names the school/district/community but not much else.
2: Intro fails to name the school, district, and/or community.
0: No introduction section is apparent.
Comments on report's introduction: Just include the aspects that are going to be analyzed within the context statement and include who the report is intended to inform J
Organization: 5/5 points
5: Report includes the following sections: Introduction, Community, District, School, Conclusion, References.
4: Report includes all sections but does not break information into paragraphs, has few transitions, or is otherwise lacking in coherence.
3: Report is missing one section.
2: Report is not divided into sections but contains some information on each.
1: Report is missing two or more sections.
Comments on report's organization: Good job! J
Mechanics: 5/5 points
5. All information is cited using APA in-text citations. A properly formatted References section appears at the end of the report.
There are few typos or errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax.
4: Most information is cited and referenced using APA format. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax but they do not interfere with meaning.
3: Some information is not cited or referenced. APA format not followed or followed incorrectly. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax that interfere with meaning.
2: Most of the information is not cited. APA formatting is negligible or nonexistent. Multiple errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax interfere with meaning.
0: No citations. No references. Myriad errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax make the report a chore to read.
Comments on report’s mechanics/conventions:
Creativity: 5/5
5. Report is engaging and colorful. Charts, graphs, and images add professionalism and interest and are well integrated into the report.
4: Report contains some interesting sections. Charts, graphs and images are relevant and add interest to the report.
3: Report appears dull. Information is reported in a disengaged manner. Charts, graphs, and images add little to the report.
Comments on report's creativity: Add more pretty colors!
Conclusion: 4/5
5: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader.
4: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community
3: Conclusion does not report back to report's findings.
1: Conclusion simply praises or condemns the school.
0: No conclusion.
Comments on report's conclusion: Just add a few sentences about why the findings should be important to the reader!
Data/Analysis: 10/10
5: Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average).
4: Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and compares most figures with relevant figures.
3: Report includes at least six different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
2: Report includes at least four different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
0: Report includes less than four different facts for any section or fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.
Comments on data/analysis/General comments: Good job!
Name: Tyesha Score:31
Introduction: 5_/5 points
5: Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform.
4: Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform.
3: Intro names the school/district/community but not much else.
2: Intro fails to name the school, district, and/or community.
0: No introduction section is apparent.
Comments on report's introduction:
Organization: _5/5 points
5: Report includes the following sections: Introduction, Community, District, School, Conclusion, References.
4: Report includes all sections but does not break information into paragraphs, has few transitions, or is otherwise lacking in coherence.
3: Report is missing one section.
2: Report is not divided into sections but contains some information on each.
1: Report is missing two or more sections.
Comments on report's organization:
Mechanics: _4/5 points
5. All information is cited using APA in-text citations. A properly formatted References section appears at the end of the report.
There are few typos or errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax.
4: Most information is cited and referenced using APA format. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax but they do not interfere with meaning.
3: Some information is not cited or referenced. APA format not followed or followed incorrectly. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax that interfere with meaning.
2: Most of the information is not cited. APA formatting is negligible or nonexistent. Multiple errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax interfere with meaning.
0: No citations. No references. Myriad errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax make the report a chore to read.
Comments on report’s mechanics/conventions:
Creativity: _3/5
5. Report is engaging and colorful. Charts, graphs, and images add professionalism and interest and are well integrated into the report.
4: Report contains some interesting sections. Charts, graphs and images are relevant and add interest to the report.
3: Report appears dull. Information is reported in a disengaged manner. Charts, graphs, and images add little to the report.
Comments on report's creativity:
Conclusion: 4_/5
5: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader.
4: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community
3: Conclusion does not report back to report's findings.
1: Conclusion simply praises or condemns the school.
0: No conclusion.
Comments on report's conclusion:
Data/Analysis: 10_/10
5: Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average).
4: Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and compares most figures with relevant figures.
3: Report includes at least six different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
2: Report includes at least four different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
0: Report includes less than four different facts for any section or fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.
Westerly High School
23 Ward Ave, Westerly, RI 02891(401) 596-2109
Madison Bavasso
INTRO:
Westerly High School is a community of learners who are committed to a positive school
environment that honors academic achievement, mutual respect and personal accountability.
Westerly commits to clearly communicating expectations to all students and holding
teachers and staff accountable to meeting them. Westerly commits to providing students multiple
pathways to success so that all students can be prepared for life after high school. Westerly
believes that innovation, technology, and having a global perspective will advance
learning, and rejects the structures that have traditionally served as limitations to
progress. Westerly believes that learning must never be a passive activity, that instruction
should inspire and that schools must operate in an atmosphere that is electric. Westerly believes
in the power of collaboration between teachers, students, their families and the
community, and draw upon the strength of diversity to solve problems and create
opportunities. (Westerly High School Website, 2014)
Background Info:
Westerly High School is a public school in a suburban area of Rhode Island that borders Connecticut. It was established in 1870.
Westerly High School enrolls students in grades 9-12. There is approximately 983 students and 88 teachers. It is the only high school in Westerly.
The principal is Steven Ruscito and the assistant principals are Anne Greene and Mary Nancy Toscano.
Below is data covering the community of Westerly, focusing on income, poverty rates, unemployment, safety, education, and more.
There is also data on the district, which shows NECAP scores, graduation rates, incidents of suspension and more.
Lastly there is school data which focuses on SAT and AP exam scores.
Each section compares Westerly to the Rhode Island averages and the district and school sections compares Westerly High School to Barrington, a high achieving school and Central Falls, a lower achieving school. This data is intended to help parents, teachers, and students compare Westerly with other communities and school districts and decide if they feel Westerly, and specifically Westerly High School, is a good match for their kids.
(U.S News.com)
Community:
Community Background:Westerly, Rhode Island is beachfront community on the shoreline of the southwest part of Rhode Island.
It is a tourist town in the summer because of its beaches.
If you are interested in learning more about this town, below is data and graphs that help highlight different factors of the community.
If these data sets aren't enticing enough, Taylor Swift owns a summer home in Westerly.
Income/Poverty:
(percent and # of people)
Westerly fairs very well financially compared to the rest of Rhode Island and the United States. People in Westerly make about 6,000 more dollars then the rest of the United States.The people and families below poverty level is a smaller percentage than those of Rhode Island and the United States. It is interesting to see that the unemployment percentage is higher in Westerly than the rest of Rhode Island and the United States. Considering the high income and low poverty rates, it is a bit confusing to see that there is a fairly large unemployment rate.
Race/Ethnicity
In this table we see that Westerly is a predominantly white community. The percentage of African Americans (1.0%) is significantly lower than that of the rest of Rhode Island (5.7%) and the United States (12.6%). The Hispanic or Latino population is also incredibly small in Westerly. The American Indian population is a bit higher in Westerly than the rest of Rhode Island, most likely due to the two nearby casinos (Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun).
Census-based Indicators
Out of the 4,787 children living in Westerly, 28% are living in single-parent families and 6% are living with their grandparents. These numbers are fairly normal in comparison to Rhode Island.
Westerly's poverty threshold average is almost 8% of the statewide average. This means that less children in Westerly are living in families below the federal poverty threshold than the state-wide average. This may be due to the high median income in Westerly that we saw in the earlier data.
Economic Well-Being
Westerly has 31% of students participating in the school breakfast program. This is lower than the statewide average but it is still a surprisingly high amount of students considering the low poverty and high income of families in Westerly. Children in families receiving cash assistance is 2% lower than the statewide average which makes more sense considering the financial stability in Westerly.
Safety
This data is the most interesting and surprising to me. The child abuse and neglect rate per 1,000 children (15.5%) is above the statewide average (14.0%). The domestic violence with children present rates are also higher than the statewide average. 34% of children witness domestic abuse. This is 3% higher than the statewide average. Child abuse can have lifelong consequences on children that carries on to high school and adulthood. It can lead to increased delinquency substance abuse, mental health issues, teen pregnancy, and low academic achievement (RIKidsCount.org). The percentages are concerning for the town of Westerly, you never want to see those percentages higher than the statewide average, even if it isn't a huge gap between them.
Education
Westerly is looking good in the chronic early absence in grades K-3 row as well as the chronic absence in high school rate. The chronic absence rate (high school) in Westerly is half of the statewide average which is a good sign that students are attending class. The suspension rate in Westerly is looking really good.The statewide suspension rate is 2x higher than Westerly's rate. It is good that students are staying out of major trouble in school.The high school graduation rate is encouraging as well with 88% of high school students graduating. The math proficiency level is a very good indicator because math is a tough subject in most school around the United States. The proficiency rate is 18% higher in Westerly than the rest of the state. I think the low suspension rate and low absent rates affect the math proficiency level because the more students are in school, the more they are learning and staying proficient in their grade levels.
District:
NECAP:I wanted to focus on 8th grade scores and 11th grade scores because I felt they are most relevant to high school. As you can see, heading into high school (8th grade) Westerly has above average scores compared to the rest of Rhode Island. Westerly is way above the state average in science (50%) and just above the average in math, reading, and writing. Compared to a very high achieving school like Barrington, Westerly doesn't even come close to any of their scores. It is encouraging to see that they are closer in percentages to Barrington then they are in Central Falls, a lower achieving district. Westerly is 21% lower than Barrington in science and 42% higher than Central Falls. They are 16% lower in reading scores than Barrington but 39% higher than Central Falls. So while they may not be at Barrington's level, Westerly is has higher NECAP scores than the state average in every category and achieves at a closer rate to Barrington than Central Falls, which is positive.
Attendance:
(Info Works, 2013-14)
Westerly has good attendance rates (95%) that fall in line with the likes of Barrington (96%). They are higher then both Central Falls (92%) and the rest of the state (94%). The chronic absenteeism rate (11%) is also a lower percentage which is encouraging. When students are attending school, they are growing and learning essential information. It also shows that students have modes of transportation to get to school and aren't left without ways to commute to school everyday.
Four Year Graduation Rate (students entering 9th grade in 2009-10)
Westerly has a high percent of graduates within 4 years (88.3). I believe that percentages above 80% are very positive. As you can see 79.7% of students in Rhode Island don't graduate in 4 years and 73.7% in Central Falls don't graduate in 4 years and don't reach that 80% positive threshold. 4.4% of student in Westerly drop out the percent who received a GED is very high in Westerly (4.8%) so even though 4.4% dropped out of school, 4.8% didn't just give up on education, they went on to receive their GED on their own time which is very good to see that students didn't just give up on school completely.
Five Year Graduation Rate (students entering 9th grade 2008-09)
As we saw earlier in the four year graduation rate, Westerly has pretty high rates within 4 years (87.1) that is 10% more than the state average. Again, this means students are attending class and getting decent grades and staying on track during high school in the minimum 4 years it takes to graduate for most students. If you combine this percentage with that of students graduated in 5 years almost 90% of students who entered 9th grade in 2008 graduated in 5 years. To have 90/100% of students graduate in 5 years is an impressive feat for Westerly as only 80% graduate statewide when you combine the first two columns.
Student Characteristics
Westerly has a fairly high number of students eligible for subsidized lunch. This is a bit surprising because of the low poverty rates and high income we saw in the earlier sections. I would have expected the rates to be lower, not as low as Barrington's but not almost 40%. Not a lot of students receive ESL which isn't surprising because 92.9% of the population are white and most likely born in English speaking households. 16% of students receive special education in Westerly. This is higher than the statewide average but special education cases are unique for every district, my uncle is a guidance counselor in the Westerly school district and says that the special education services in Westerly are very good, so kids from other districts may come to Westerly to receive special education service.
School
SAT Exams:
Westerly has scores in the 500's for math, reading, and writing. These are above/a little above average scores for SAT's. The scores are significantly higher than Central Falls and lower than Barrington's scores. All the scores are 30 points higher than the state average so it shows that students are pretty prepared for the SAT's and Westerly High School helps prepare students for each section of the exam so students have learned enough content to pass the SAT's with decent scores.
AP exams:
95 students take the AP exam in Westerly. 60 of those students score at a college level mastery. That is 49% of students who passed the exam for college credit. Based on how difficult these exams are, that is a decent percentage of students that passed the exam. Almost half of the students that took the exam passed which is lower than the statewide average but considering the school is small, there are probably only 3/4 AP classes to chose from for students so most of them are probably taking AP clases that may not be their strong subject but they want to take an AP class to put on college resumes.
Student Indicators
There is a high stability index in Westerly, its a tight knit town where generation after generation grow up and raise their children in Westerly. Most people who grow up in Westerly don't stray very far from home. Not much changes in Westerly very often.
Incidents of Suspension
Westerly has a high number of incidents (113). This is just 4 less than Central Falls (117) and 10 more than Barrington (103). Suspensions are given out for many different reasons. For example, fights, illegal activity, inappropriate behavior etc. So we don't know exactly why this number is so high but if I had to take a guess I would look back at the Safety section. We saw that Westerly has a high percentage of child abuse and domestic violence. Like I said earlier, abuse and domestic violence have lifelong consequences on children. If they experience abuse or witness domestic violence, they are more likely to fall victim to it and demonstrate it when they get older and also they can exhibit higher aggression than others. This children may be starting fights in school and getting suspended for it. Obviously we don't know for sure if that is the case but it could be said that abuse and suspensions are related.
Conclusion:
Westerly has a few red flags particularly in suspensions (113), child abuse (15.5%), and domestic violence (34%) but, overall it exceeds the state wide average in most categories. Most of those categories with red flags do not represent Westerly and the school district as a whole. You can't make a causation or correlation from that data to the entire population.
Westerly may not be at the same level as Barrington but it has significantly higher percentages than a struggling district like Central Falls.
By ranking higher than the State average in almost every academic category, Westerly can be classified as an above average school, but not quite reaching the superior level.
Westerly falls in a class above most schools in Rhode Island but hasn't hit elite status like Barrington. You can determine this by comparing the SAT, AP, and NECAP scores as well as the graduation and attendance rates above. The community is a middle class, beach front community with low poverty and unemployment rates. The income is higher than most in Rhode Island ($59,008). You can't ask for much more than that if you are looking to locate to a safe, scenic area. It is a great town to send your children to school in, they will receive opportunities to learn and grow as students.
By showing you the positive and also negative data of Westerly, it gives you a sense of where this town and school district stand in comparison to other schools and towns. It important to be able to compare data from other schools so you see how a community stacks up against the best of the best and the worst of the worst. You are able to make some predictions about where Westerly is heading as a community and district.I hope this information has informed you on all that Westerly has to offer and has enticed you to consider Westerly High School as a place for your future children to spend 180 days a year in.
References:
RI Kids Count. (2012-2013). Retrieved from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/default.asp
United States Census Bureau. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/
Votta, P. (2013). Info works! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting. Retrieved from http://infoworks.ride.ri.gov/
Westerly High School. (2014). Retrieved from http://whs.westerly.k12.ri.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/944296/File/Core%20Values%20Beliefs%20and%20Expectations.pdf?sessionid=d9204dd579570d0a66ee1133eb84aa2e&sessionid=1a34e182931e7af4be0c5fe7c77429ac
U.S News. (2011-2012). Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/rhode-island/districts/westerly/westerly-high-school-17521
Author: (Person who wrote report.)
Editor: (Taylor Borruso.)
Total Score for this Evaluation: _33 /35 pts
The purpose of the context statement in EDC 102 is to provide each student with an opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability to research a school, its district, and its community in order to better understand its strengths and challenges. Each report should describe their school based solely on evidence that they cite in their Reference section.
As a peer editor, your tasks are:
RUBRIC
Name: Score:Introduction: 5_/5 points
5: Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform.
4: Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform.
3: Intro names the school/district/community but not much else.
2: Intro fails to name the school, district, and/or community.
0: No introduction section is apparent.
Comments on report's introduction:
Organization: 5_/5 points
5: Report includes the following sections: Introduction, Community, District, School, Conclusion, References.
4: Report includes all sections but does not break information into paragraphs, has few transitions, or is otherwise lacking in coherence.
3: Report is missing one section.
2: Report is not divided into sections but contains some information on each.
1: Report is missing two or more sections.
Comments on report's organization:
Mechanics: 5_/5 points
5. All information is cited using APA in-text citations. A properly formatted References section appears at the end of the report.
There are few typos or errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax.
4: Most information is cited and referenced using APA format. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax but they do not interfere with meaning.
3: Some information is not cited or referenced. APA format not followed or followed incorrectly. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax that interfere with meaning.
2: Most of the information is not cited. APA formatting is negligible or nonexistent. Multiple errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax interfere with meaning.
0: No citations. No references. Myriad errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax make the report a chore to read.
Comments on report’s mechanics/conventions:
Creativity: _3/5
5. Report is engaging and colorful. Charts, graphs, and images add professionalism and interest and are well integrated into the report.
4: Report contains some interesting sections. Charts, graphs and images are relevant and add interest to the report.
3: Report appears dull. Information is reported in a disengaged manner. Charts, graphs, and images add little to the report.
Comments on report's creativity:
Conclusion: _4/5
5: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader.
4: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community
3: Conclusion does not report back to report's findings.
1: Conclusion simply praises or condemns the school.
0: No conclusion.
Comments on report's conclusion:
Data/Analysis: 10_/10
5: Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average).
4: Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and compares most figures with relevant figures.
3: Report includes at least six different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
2: Report includes at least four different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
0: Report includes less than four different facts for any section or fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.
Peer Evaluation / Feedback for EDC 102 Context Statement
Author: Maddie Bavasso
Editor: Kiah Marcotte
Total Score for this Evaluation: 33/35 pts
The purpose of the context statement in EDC 102 is to provide each student with an opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability to research a school, its district, and its community in order to better understand its strengths and challenges. Each report should describe their school based solely on evidence that they cite in their Reference section.
As a peer editor, your tasks are:
Introduction: 4/5 points
5: Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform.
4: Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform.
3: Intro names the school/district/community but not much else.
2: Intro fails to name the school, district, and/or community.
0: No introduction section is apparent.
Comments on report's introduction: Just include the aspects that are going to be analyzed within the context statement and include who the report is intended to inform J
Organization: 5/5 points
5: Report includes the following sections: Introduction, Community, District, School, Conclusion, References.
4: Report includes all sections but does not break information into paragraphs, has few transitions, or is otherwise lacking in coherence.
3: Report is missing one section.
2: Report is not divided into sections but contains some information on each.
1: Report is missing two or more sections.
Comments on report's organization: Good job! J
Mechanics: 5/5 points
5. All information is cited using APA in-text citations. A properly formatted References section appears at the end of the report.
There are few typos or errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax.
4: Most information is cited and referenced using APA format. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax but they do not interfere with meaning.
3: Some information is not cited or referenced. APA format not followed or followed incorrectly. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax that interfere with meaning.
2: Most of the information is not cited. APA formatting is negligible or nonexistent. Multiple errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax interfere with meaning.
0: No citations. No references. Myriad errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax make the report a chore to read.
Comments on report’s mechanics/conventions:
Creativity: 5/5
5. Report is engaging and colorful. Charts, graphs, and images add professionalism and interest and are well integrated into the report.
4: Report contains some interesting sections. Charts, graphs and images are relevant and add interest to the report.
3: Report appears dull. Information is reported in a disengaged manner. Charts, graphs, and images add little to the report.
Comments on report's creativity: Add more pretty colors!
Conclusion: 4/5
5: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader.
4: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community
3: Conclusion does not report back to report's findings.
1: Conclusion simply praises or condemns the school.
0: No conclusion.
Comments on report's conclusion: Just add a few sentences about why the findings should be important to the reader!
Data/Analysis: 10/10
5: Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average).
4: Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and compares most figures with relevant figures.
3: Report includes at least six different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
2: Report includes at least four different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
0: Report includes less than four different facts for any section or fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.
Comments on data/analysis/General comments: Good job!
Name: Tyesha Score:31
Introduction: 5_/5 points
5: Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform.
4: Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform.
3: Intro names the school/district/community but not much else.
2: Intro fails to name the school, district, and/or community.
0: No introduction section is apparent.
Comments on report's introduction:
Organization: _5/5 points
5: Report includes the following sections: Introduction, Community, District, School, Conclusion, References.
4: Report includes all sections but does not break information into paragraphs, has few transitions, or is otherwise lacking in coherence.
3: Report is missing one section.
2: Report is not divided into sections but contains some information on each.
1: Report is missing two or more sections.
Comments on report's organization:
Mechanics: _4/5 points
5. All information is cited using APA in-text citations. A properly formatted References section appears at the end of the report.
There are few typos or errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax.
4: Most information is cited and referenced using APA format. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax but they do not interfere with meaning.
3: Some information is not cited or referenced. APA format not followed or followed incorrectly. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax that interfere with meaning.
2: Most of the information is not cited. APA formatting is negligible or nonexistent. Multiple errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax interfere with meaning.
0: No citations. No references. Myriad errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax make the report a chore to read.
Comments on report’s mechanics/conventions:
Creativity: _3/5
5. Report is engaging and colorful. Charts, graphs, and images add professionalism and interest and are well integrated into the report.
4: Report contains some interesting sections. Charts, graphs and images are relevant and add interest to the report.
3: Report appears dull. Information is reported in a disengaged manner. Charts, graphs, and images add little to the report.
Comments on report's creativity:
Conclusion: 4_/5
5: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader.
4: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community
3: Conclusion does not report back to report's findings.
1: Conclusion simply praises or condemns the school.
0: No conclusion.
Comments on report's conclusion:
Data/Analysis: 10_/10
5: Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average).
4: Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and compares most figures with relevant figures.
3: Report includes at least six different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
2: Report includes at least four different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
0: Report includes less than four different facts for any section or fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.
Comments on data/analysis/General comments: